Ted Smith -- 2013 GT Top 25 Winner

On the leading edge of the growing government innovation officer movement, Ted Smith was hired to fill that role in Louisville in July 2011. Then in January 2012, Mayor Greg Fischer established a Department of Economic Growth and Innovation, naming Smith as its director. With academic credentials in neuroscience, successful online health ventures and a track record of public-private partnerships, he works to ensure that innovation in Louisville also contributes to the local economy.

Partnering with Wisconsin-based Asthmapolis, Smith leads an effort in Louisville to provide asthma sufferers with sensors that track when and where patients access their medication. The goal? To ease the suffering of patients, reduce costs from emergency treatment by encouraging better control of the disease and gather information to layer atop other data sets to inform remediation options.

“There’s a big difference between governments that tinker and governments that are truly evolving, and I’d like to believe we’re in the latter category,” Smith said.

Look for more from Louisville on a digital urban planning effort that seeks to marry physical urban planning with virtual urban planning. According to Smith, officials should focus more attention on the digital presence of their physical assets. “Imagine you were blind other than what you could see through your smartphone. How much of my city could you see?” Smith asked. At this point, his answer is “not enough.”

Government Technology editor Noelle Knell has more than 15 years of writing and editing experience, covering public projects, transportation, business and technology. A California native, she has worked in both state and local government, and is a graduate of the University of California, Davis, with majors in political science and American history. She can be reached via email and on Twitter.